Cloud Computing News, Features, and Interviews

• Government to establish ‘cloud marketplace’

  The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) is preparing to launch an online marketplace that government entities can use to purchase cloud services.

• Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd dies at 62

  62-year-old co-chief Mark Hurd died on Friday morning, the company said, an unexpected development that raises pressure on co-CEO Safra Catz to lead the business software maker’s ongoing transition to cloud computing.

• VMware tightens AWS cloud integration

  RDS on VMware is available for customers running VMware vSphere 6.5 or later and supports Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL and MySQL.

• Data drives up Bank of Queensland IT expenses

  Data collection activities have resulted in an increase in IT costs by $6 million for the Bank of Queensland (BOQ).

• Former Cisco engineers raise US$278M for startup

  ​A cloud startup founded by a group of four ex-Cisco engineers has raised US$278 million to fund products that aim to help the data centres of customers like investment banks function more like those of cloud computing providers.

• Can Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency survive the exodus?

  Seven of the founding members of the Libra Association, Facebook's non-profit governing council for its planned cryptocurrency, have jumped ship amid increasing scrutiny by U.S. and European regulators.

• Cryptojacking worm infects exposed Docker deployments

  Graboid is the first known instance of a cryptomining worm used to create botnets spread using containers.

• Rise of ISVs presents opportunities for businesses

  The number of independent software vendors (ISVs) is exploding and is expected reach 1 million by 2025, according to Forrester. This trend is fuelled by cloud including software-as-a-service (SaaS), which is lowering barriers to selling software. For example, ISVs can rapidly develop software and market it via a cloud marketplace instead of cumbersome on premise delivery models.

• Perth Mint gold to back InfiniGold digital token

  ​Fintech firm InfiniGold has announced it would launch a digital token backed by gold stored in the vaults of Australia's Perth Mint, one of the world's largest precious metals refiners.

• Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman talks vision, AWS tension and IPO plans

  The new CEO of Snowflake talks frankly about what he wants to bring to the company and some of the key challenges on his agenda.

• How SaaS vendors are designing software for the 'best of breed' world

  Chief product officers must bridge the divide between what users want and ensuring their offering doesn’t become a “Frankenstein of features”.

• Spooked by Libra, EU pledges to regulate digital currencies

  The European Union's finance commissioner has pledged to propose new rules to regulate virtual currencies, in a reaction to Facebook's plans to introduce Libra, which the EU considers a risk to financial stability.

• Oracle to hire 2,000 in cloud push

  ​Oracle has plans to hire nearly 2,000 additional workers as part of an aggressive plan to roll out its cloud computing services to more locations around the world, its cloud chief told Reuters on Monday.

• Is hybrid cloud certification right for you?

  After years of shifting applications to the public cloud, enterprises realise it’s not the right fit for every app and are pulling some back to private clouds.

• ‘We failed because we didn’t take care of the people’

  In 2012 when she was an IT director at Cisco in San Jose, Atlassian’s chief information officer, Archana Rao, was part of a technology project that turned out to be a complete disaster.

• CSIRO’s Data61 and Penten hatch cyber security ‘deception’ tech

  CSIRO’s Data61 has inked a major research project with cyber security firm, Penten, to build AI-enabled cyber security defence technology, better known as ‘deception’ technology that includes cyber traps and decoys.

• DFAT hunts provider to bring 33,000 assets into cloud

  The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a call for a new provider to move 33,000 files into a centralised, cloud-based platform.

• AWS and Westpac's Little Ripper helps deliver crocodile-spotting drones in Australia

  ​An Australian maker of drones used to spot sharks near surf beaches has partnered with online retailer Amazon.com and other firms to create a drone service that could protect tourists from crocodiles in holiday destinations.

• Govt mulls blockchain, IoT and big data in future of health service

  The Australian Digital Health Agency has dipped its toes in the water for its future platform delivery ahead of Accenture's impending contract expiration next year.

• IBM brings blockchain to Red Hat OpenShift; adds ApacheDB for hybrid cloud customers

  IBM continued its Red Hat and open source software integration work this week by adding Red Hat OpenShift support to its blockchain platform.

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